Two world-class angling collections offered by Lang’s Auctions’ Nov. 2-3

Oct. 9, 2007

BOXBOROUGH, Mass.—Two highly-prized collections will be put on the block at Lang’s Auctions’ Nov. 2-3 auction: the Angling and Rare Book Collection of John Moores, owner of the San Diego Padres, and items from the collection of Zane Grey, celebrated author of Western novels in the 1920s and 1930s. These men built two extremely desirable collections, and avid collectors will have the opportunity to own a piece of angling history. Collectors may leave both absentee and live Internet bids at www.LiveAuctioneers.com, where those interested may also view the fully-illustrated catalog.

Of historic significance, the John Moores Angling and Rare Book Collection includes the most comprehensive gathering of Derrydale books; in fact, the finest American sporting book collection ever to be assembled by the greatest sporting book publishing company of all time. Inclusion of dozens of the earliest known identified maker rods and reels to come to auction, with names such as Ustonson, Tout, Pirn, Fritz Vom Hofe, Norris, Clarke-Higginbotham, etc., will entice serious collectors. Also included are numerous celebrity tackle items originally owned by not only past presidents, but also sports and fly fishing icons such as Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams, Lee Wulff, Sparse Grey Hackle, Ray Bergman among others. Movie related personalities are also represented, with items from Bing Crosby, Robert Montgomery and Norman MacLean, of A River Runs Through It fame.

In addition to the extraordinary content, the notoriety of the owner, as well as the benefit this collection will provide, will set this collection apart. John Moores, best known to the public as the owner of the San Diego Padres, will generously donate all proceeds from the sale of his treasured collection to the Carter Center "to wage peace, fight disease and build hope."

President Jimmy Carter, a fly fishing enthusiast, has personally endorsed this sale with a hand-written letter which will be included in the auction catalog. A collection for charity, of this magnitude, is a first in the field of fishing tackle collecting. "Fly fishing and the work of The Carter Center are two of my greatest passions, said former President Jimmy Carter. “I hope you will bid generously and become a partner with John, me, and countless others who seek to help the most forgotten people on earth."

Of equal importance to a passionate group of collectors, yet in a wholly different category, are items from the collection of Zane Grey, celebrated Western author of the 1920s and 1930's. Credited with sparking the genre, Grey, an avid sportsman, has become one of the most sought-after personalities in today's fishing collectible market. While America was busy reading Grey's adventures, he was living them, traveling the globe in search of record breaking fish. His numerous affairs with women were hidden from the public for many years, and recent acknowledgement of such relationships has opened a new subculture of collecting. A substantial number of collectors are fascinated by this public, yet very private, early-1900s personality.

The fall 2007 auction will offer more than150 lots of Zane Grey owned items, by far the largest collection of his possessions to come to auction. Personal belongings such as photographs, letters, luggage, first edition books and more will be sold. But what will truly excite collectors is the offering of artifacts from Grey's fishing adventures, including: the fighting chair and harness Grey used to land the record big game fish for which he is so famous, and flags flown on his ships, The Fisherman and The Gladiator, including the most recognizable of his signature flags; the 11' Broadbill flag, the Mako Shark flag, and the ZG initial flag.

As Zane Grey transcends multiple collectible fields, there are important items for the Zane Grey Western-category collector, such as his signature leather pants, worn through years of western adventures, in addition to other personal clothing and camp items. This sale will also attract those interested in Grey's private life. For these collectors, there are "coded" love letters from his mistresses and personal Zane Grey writings. Important original oil and watercolor paintings by artists Grey collected or knew personally will be sold. In addition, the largest known fishing photographs, special ordered by Grey, and adorning the very room in which he wrote his masterful works of western fiction, will be offered.

In addition to historic and important collections, the Nov. 2-3 auction will include fishing related items in every category and price range, including:

Reels: Billinghurst, Mills & Son, Malleson, Leonard, Talbot, Clinton, Philbrook & Paine, Fowler, Vom Hofe, Meek, Ustonson, Conroy, Saraciones with rare 3 reel set, Heddon, Fin-Nor, Walker, many Kentucky reels, Farlow, a terrific selection of spinning reels, including rare Salesman's Samples of Cargem and Shakespeare, a large selection of Alcedo reels and boxes, a great array of both Montague and Pennell trade reels, a nice collection of Winchester casting and fly reels, Bogdans with rare 2 reel set, Orvis, Zangi, Hardy, and many more.

Rods: Incredible rods, many in short lengths and extraordinary condition - Garrison, Gillum, Dickerson, Halstead, Brandin, Carpenter, Payne, Aroner, Leonard, Winston, Young, Carmichael, Powell, F.E. Thomas, Kusse, Edwards, French, Whitehead, Macklin, Jenkins, Hightower, Maurer, Eden, Needham, Hardy, Jennings, Phillipson, Clark, T&T, Soeffker, Carlson, Klausmeyer, Nevros, Kushner, Summers, Ballan, Hawes, Bradford, etc.

Antique Rods: Ustonson, Thomas Tout, Norris, Eaton & Co., James Jones, Wm. Mitchell, Charles Murphy, Thomas Mack, Conroy, Wm. Blacker, Bowness & Bowness, Devine, Thomas & Edwards, etc.

Lures: Extremely Rare Musky Haskell Minnow, Rare Smith Wiggletail Minnow, Rare yellow Hosmer Frog in the Box, South Bend Truck Oreno in Box, Miller's Reversible Minnow, Ketch-Em Minnow in Rare Box, Schoonie's Scooter, Coldwater Prototype, AL&W, Winchester, Single Hook Pikaroon, Glass minnow tubes, Musky Chippewa, Lane's, DAM, Wilson, Tin Liz Snake, Michigan Life Like Minnow, Bleeder Baits, Lovelace Breathing Minnows, Jamison, Keeling, Eureka Wiggler, ABC Minnow, Pepper, Shurebite, A nice collection of boxed Heddon baits, Flyrod baits including clean boxed Heddon, Creek Chub, Tuttle, etc., Underwater Minnows by Heddon, South Bend, Pflueger, Shakespeare, Bates Serpentine Spinner, Chapman, Gregory and hundreds more.

Misc.: Early L.C. Smith Hunter Arms Shotgun, collection of Powder Flasks, Rare Davis Fish Trap, C.C.B.Co. Stoneware Jug, Creels, Bobbers, Bait Cans, collection of Copper Buckets, Model Canoe, Nets, Pflueger Store Display Case, Fish Decoys, Evans Fish Trap, etc.

Original Art & Advertising: Rare Oliver Kemp Painting, Rare Pleissner Painting, Louis Rhead Paintings, Great large Adirondack Painting on wood slab, Abercrombie Fitch Store Watercolor by Arthur Fuller, Fly Art by Burke, Watercolor by Taylor, Original Kingfisher Poster, Horton Bristol Advertising Proof, Spiral Wind Reel Co. Diorama, Hudson Bay Co. Nepigon River Map, etc.

Flies: Quill Gordon, George LaBranche, Steenrod, Cross, Hewitt, Carrie Stevens, Wulff, DeFeo, John Alden Knight, Darbee, Carpenter, Marinaro, Helen Shaw, Megan Boyd, Polly Rosborough, Younger, George Grant, Orvis, Hardy, several Fly Reservoirs, etc.

To view the fully-illustrated auction catalog, visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com